A Helping Hand
by Slaggo
Summary: Many things influence one's future, whether or not they make a major impact or a small one. Watch as Izuku Midoriya's entire future is changed when he gets his very own influence in the form of one Mei Hatsume. How will having a support maniac as a childhood friend change the quirkless boy? Read and find out!
1. The Beginning

It was a sunny day in Musutafu, Japan. There were small little clouds in the sky and wildlife was blooming in the nearby parks. Many people were out and about, going through their daily tasks and whatnot. There were even some heroes on patrol that would happily wave to the populace as they walked the bustling streets of the city. Thankfully it seemed to be a peaceful day with only minor incidents occurring earlier in the morning. All in all, it was nearly a perfect day.

Well, for most it was.

In one of the nearby parks, a group of children, no older than six years old were walking a trail through a wooded area. They stayed in a line, following the apparent leader as he hummed a tune and every now and then yelling "C' mon! Follow your leader, the great Katsuki Bakugou!"

The boy had ash blonde hair and a deep brown, almost red-tinged pair of eyes that were filled with both confidence and childlike wonder as he led the group on their exploration through the forest. Raising his hand, he pointed it towards the sky as he showed off his quirk, an explosion popping out of his hand. It was small however and sounded more akin to cheap firecrackers than a real explosion. This didn't seem to matter to the smug boy however as the children behind him cheered and shot their fist's into the air.

"Woah! You're so cool Kacchan!" One of the boys shouted out with a grin. A pair of red devil-like wings were sprouting from his back and seemed to flap excitingly in response to Bakugou's quirk.

Two other boys next to him nodded, one with a red backwards cap and another with spiky black hair. This only fueled Bakugou's arrogance in himself as he continued forward, the group approaching a large log that seemed to have fallen and created a makeshift bridge across the stream below.

The last boy of the group nervously trailed behind everyone a few feet apart, almost like he wasn't allowed to stand in the vicinity of the other four. His hair was rather unkempt and curly, nearly black but with a clear dark green shine that was noticeable in light. His freckles dotted around his cheeks scrunched up in nervousness upon approaching the fallen tree.

This was Izuku Midoriya, better known to others as 'Deku' or 'Quirkless Loser'.

"K-Kacchan… are you sure this is s-safe?" He muttered loud enough for the group to hear, not taking his eyes off the stream below. It wasn't too high up but enough to cause some damage if you were to fall the wrong way.

The boy with the hat rolled his eyes and glanced behind him, looking at Midoriya. "C' mon Deku, this is Kacchan we're following. Do you really think he'd lead us into danger?" He spoke with annoyance that caused the green-haired boy to flinch slightly.

Meanwhile, Bakugou just kept forward and ignored the two, taking the first step on the tree trunk as he began singing "Forward march and here we go! Members of the agency, Bakugou!"

The three others followed with smiles on their faces while Midoriya kept glancing between the ground and the back of Bakugou, his worry spread across his face.

"Sound of-AH!" Bakugou was cut mid-sentence as his left foot gave way, skidding down the side of the trunk and pulling his entire body with him. In the span of three seconds, the boy was already in the water, everyone from the group widening their eyes and looking over the edge, eyes scanning for their fearless leader.

"Kacchan! A-are you alright?" The spiky-haired shouted down to him before he heard a scoff.

"Don't worry, Kacchan is the toughest one out of us all. He's fiiiiiine." The one with the wings stated, smirking down at the water, seeing said boy rise from the water.

Bakugou's heart was racing, though he'd never admit it. Fear was etched on his face for a good second before he turned around and gave a grin to the boys up at the log which caused them all to cheer in amazement.

"See!? I told you!"

"You're so cool Kacchan!"

"You had doubts?"

Bakugou smirked but it soon fell as soon as he noticed one of the members of his group was gone.

'Wait...where's-'

A hand appearing in front of his face cut his thoughts off as he glanced over towards the owner. "D-Deku..." he muttered more to himself than to the freckled boy.

"Kacchan! Y-you're not hurt anywhere, are you? That w-was a pretty big fall..." Midoriya spoke with concern for his friend, something that clearly ticked Bakugou off. While some people could just see it as a nice act, the blonde boy saw it as a clear weakness.

Him getting help from some quirkless nobody? That was the biggest shame he could ever feel. He was strong...stronger than anybody! And soon he would be stronger than All Might! So why...why was this loser acting as if they were on the same level!?

Unbeknownst to the inner workings of Bakugou's mind, Midoriya kept his hand reached out, his worry increasing as he still hadn't received a response from the boy. "K-Kacchan?"

Finally snapping out of it, the drenched boy stood up on his own, slapping the hand away from him in disgust. A rotten look on his face as he stood up straight and glared down at the slightly shorter boy. "I don't need your help Deku. A quirkless has no right in helping someone with a quirk remember? Know your place!" He spouted out, venom laced in his voice.

This wasn't the first time he had been rude to Midoriya, but it was the first time he had been straight-up hostile. The All Might fanboy took step back, his eyes widening in fear at the amount of hate laced in his voice, especially when he had called him by his demeaning nickname.

As Bakugou stomped by, the green-haired boy stood completely still. It was as if someone with an ice quirk froze him from head to toe. He wasn't sure how to react. His best friend had shot him down and dragged his dream through the mud. A small voice lingering in the back of Midoriya's head had to agree with Bakugou however.

How was a quirkless supposed to be a hero? There wasn't anything that made the boy unique...and attempting to help Kacchan had simply been an inconvenience to the boy. Something that just got in his way. If only…

...if only he had a quirk.

* * *

The day finally began to end as the cicada's let out their calls and the sun began to set. Inko Midoriya stood in the apartment's kitchen stirring in some noodles to the boiling water. She sighed, a frown on her face as she glanced back over towards the couch where her son sat.

Usually, her son was filled to the brim with energy, especially when coming home from a day out with his friends. Today however...she didn't know what happened but it seemed to really have put her son down. Perhaps she should have another talk with Mitsuki and see if she could get anything out of her son…

While the woman was lost in her thoughts, Midoriya was as well.

'How...how can I become a hero like All Might...without a quirk?' This was the main question that was on his mind. Up until now he was just determined to show his passion, figuring everything would just fall into place as soon as he was of age. If he showed his spirit and knowledge of all things hero-like...they couldn't reject him right?

Then Kacchan happened. He had opened the optimistic boy's eyes wide open and at the reality of the matter.

"Know your place!" His words rang in his mind, clear as day. Where was his place? If it wasn't as a hero was it as just someone who would get saved? An onlooker?

The young boy glanced behind him as he heard his mother humming a tune. His head popped over the couch as he watched her slowly but surely attract a container of spices towards her hand as she stirred in another box. Midoriya was confused.

Standing up from his seat, he ran over to the kitchen and looked up at his mother, tugging at her pink frilly apron. "Hey...mom. Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm? O-oh! Yes of course dear! What do you need Izuku?" She smiled brightly down at her child, happy to help in any way shape or form.

Midoriya managed a small smile before it dropped and he fidgeted a bit, finding his feet to be more interesting than anything else in the room. "Well..you have a quirk right?"

He received a confused look but a nod as well from his mother as she turned the stove off and gave her full attention to the freckled boy. "Yes, that's right. Why do you ask?" She was hoping it wasn't about his own or lack therefore of a quirk. It was a delicate subject within the family of two.

"If you have a quirk...why aren't you a hero like All Might?" He asked innocently, his eyes finally leaving his feet and staring into his mother's eyes.

Said eyes seemed to widen as large as dinner plates, not expecting such a question from her six-year-old son. The woman had to take a few moments to herself to gather her thoughts before sighing slightly, placing a hand on her cheek. "You don't pull any punches do you Izuku..." She muttered to herself quiet enough so her son wouldn't hear her.

Inko moved over and took hold of one of the kitchen chairs and slid it over, sitting down while simultaneously lifting Midoriya onto her lap.

"You see Izu...even though mommy has a quirk...it's not exactly useful in battle, rescue or even support." She smiled down at Midoriya as she used her quirk to slowly pull on the young boy's t-shirt, causing it to tug ever so slightly in the direction of the woman's hand. This elicited a small giggle from the boy and a warm smile from the young mother.

"Just because someone has a quirk doesn't mean their future is set in stone. A quirk doesn't make a hero. The person does. Isn't that right?"

After getting over his small giggle, Midoriya nodded his head slightly, understanding somewhat. "So...even without a quirk, I can be a hero?"

Inko frowned, noticing her slip up as she looked away from her son. Gods...she couldn't look at him with that hopeful glint in his eye. This action caused the boy to frown as well, looking down at his lap.

"But why?" He asked confused. "Why does Kacchan get to be the hero and I don't!?" He shouted, hopping off his mother's lap as tears began to rise to his eyes. Inko's eyes widened in surprise at the tone of voice her son was giving her. Resentment. Sadness. She could do nothing but look down at her son with sadness dripping from her own eyes. "Izuku..."

This was the trigger for the young boy to take off running towards his room. Ignoring the shouts from his mother, he slammed the door and breathed heavily while he leaned against the door. Tears began to fall more freely as the same thoughts span in his head.

"A quirk doesn't make the hero. The person does."

"Know your place!"

"Quirkless Loser!"

So what was he supposed to be! Someone who could be hero-like but not be a hero themselves? Someone who could help but wasn't in the way? Just how was the boy supposed to accomplish that?

Sniffling and wiping the tears away, he quickly sat up and left the room to apologize to his mother. He didn't want her feeling bad because of him.

* * *

The next day had approached quickly despite Midoriya staying up way past his bedtime. He had mostly pushed all those thoughts from last night to the back of his brain and was simply looking forward to the new day. Though there was a small nervousness at seeing Kacchan today.

Since yesterday's incident, they hadn't spoken a word to each other. Bakugou opting to ignore the quirkless boy and Midoriya too afraid to speak up to him again. He wondered if he was still mad at him but a quick shake of the head let that thought disappear.

As he hummed a heroes theme song in the back of his mother's car, he couldn't help but envision himself running around in All Might's costume, helping the man fight crime. Supporting the man in everything that he did.

A grin made its way onto his face as he looked out the window, his imagination showing him future fights he would be doing in costume against baddies.

"Know your place!"

Well..that is until last night's thoughts came back full force. No matter what he did, he couldn't shake those thoughts. The thoughts of what he should be. Should he still try and be a hero and end up being a liability?

He grew even more upset, shuttering at the thought of the number one hero shouting at him the same way Kacchan had.

Sayber Primary School quickly made itself known as Inko parked in one of the many spaces and undid her seat belt, looking behind her and at the now nervous boy. "We're here Izuku! C'mon now, you don't wanna be late!" She cheerfully said giving her son an eye smile.

Midoriya glanced out the window and at the building. Sayber Primary School wasn't overly special and had a low amount of students in its care. It was, however, close enough to get to without the use of a train. Something that the young boy would have to learn to ride one day.

Midoriya nodded his head and slipped his open journal into his bag before slipping it on. The journal contained a few scratches and the number one crudely drawn on it. It was his first journal on heroes and their quirks. He wondered if he would even need it anymore…

Shaking his head and put on a happy face as he waved goodbye to his, mom, giving her a happy smile and walking into the school. Thankfully the halls weren't overly complicated and after a few turns he found the familiar classroom where he had met his group of "friends".

Walking in, he proceeded to go straight over to his desk, his legs shaking in nervousness. He hated walking in the classroom and being the center of attention. His eyes attempted to sneak a glance at Bakugou and the others who were all surrounding Bakugou's desk as he showed off his amazing quirk. The teachers would surely tell him off if they were here right now. Speaking off…

Where was the teacher? She was usually here in the morning greeting everyone.

As Midoriya sat down, he seemed to have gotten the attention of his group of friends who were currently snickering at him while Bakugou said something. Midoriya frowned and his eyes shifted down towards his lap, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

He was thankfully saved by the bell as the teacher walked in, a warm smile gracing her face as she walked in. All eyes, however, weren't on her but instead on the little girl that she brought with her, through the door. Many people began to whisper and mutter at the thought of a possible new student.

Midoriya looked up when the whispers started and his eyes quickly found the target of everyone's thoughts.

A girl that looked to be around his age stood slightly behind the teacher, her bright pink bubblegum hair making her easy to spot. It was cut short, only reaching down to about her cheeks. Her pale skin was telltale signs that she didn't get outside nearly as much as the other kids. The main thing that caught Midoriya's attention, however, were her eyes. They were yellow with what looked to be a reticle lined up and her pupil in the middle.

'Is that her quirk..?' He wondered to himself as the teacher stood behind the podium.

"Alright class! Today we have a new student to introduce you all too. Please welcome-"

"Hi! I'm Hatsume Mei! I like my babies and chocolate! Nice to meet you all!" She shouted out before the teacher could even finish her sentence. This generated a few laughs from the class as the teacher gave a stern look to the now sheepish looking Mei.

Midoriya himself couldn't help but laugh a little at the enthusiasm behind those words...wait, babies? His face became confused as he seemed to be the only one who caught that...or cared enough to wonder. Bakugou just snorted in his seat a few desks away from the freckle ridden boy.

Sighing, the teacher pointed at an empty desk in front of Midoriya. "You may take your seat in front of Midoriya-Kun. Midoriya-Kun, please stand."

"Y-yes!" He quickly shot out of his seat and stood rigidly. This too elected a few laughs from the class but more to his own embarrassment. Mei grinned and nodded, skipping her way over to the empty desk as she dropped her bag onto the floor.

"Hey! I'm Hatsume Mei!" She said after the boy had sat back down. Midoriya was shocked that the new girl was suddenly speaking to him and his nerves quickly shot up.

"U-uh hello. M-my name is Midoriya I-Izuku...please take care of me!" He nervously said, a clear stutter in his voice.

"Pfft, that's what I'm supposed to be saying! Hmmm..." She giggled before humming to herself. Suddenly her eyes shifted, the reticle on the iris growing large somewhat as she stared intensely at the now blushing boy. "You look..."

Midoriya was frozen, not sure what to make of this interaction. He looked what? Nervous? Shy? Scared to death? Cause he was all of those things right now.

"...plain."

This caused the green-haired boy to comically face plant into his desk, upset at the description, or lack thereof, that the girl had given him.

"I like it!" This caused him to glance up from his arms and look at the girl with another blush. She liked his plainness? Wouldn't it be better to like someone who had wings or someone with fire for hair better?

"Thanks… y-you look um n-nice..." He muttered out, barely loud enough for her to hear him. "Your eyes are...cool." He spoke, this time a bit more confidence in his voice as he talked about a quirk that he hadn't seen before.

"Ah, you noticed! My quirk lets me zoom into objects! I don't even need a telescope hehe." She grinned and gave Midoriya an eye smile. "How bout you? What's your quirk?"

He faltered for a second, before sighing. Of course, it would come back to this. It always did. "I..i don't have one. I'm...quirkless." He spoke sadly, once again looking down into his lap. Mei's eyes widened as she gazed at the boy with wonder.

"Quirkless...Woah. My mom says that rare!" Midoriya looked up slightly, confused that he wasn't already getting ignored or made fun of. This girl kept surprising him time and time again and it had only been five minutes since they had begun talking.

"Did you want to be a hero?" She asked curiously, a smile still showing on her face. This broke out young Midoriya out from his thoughts as he nodded silently to her. "That's gonna be a little hard doncha think?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Welllll even without a quirk you can still support them!"

"Yeah..." He frowned

Wait. Support?

"Y-you mean cheer them on right?" Midoriya asked, a slight stutter in his voice as he gulped in anticipation of the answer.

"Hmm?" She hummed, in the middle of digging her supplies out of her bag. "Nope! I meant support as in inventing new things and ways to help the pros! That's what I plan to do with my babies~." She cheerfully said.

It all came crashing down on Midoriya, just like that. The words he had been longing for. The words that told him his place in the world.

"Know your place!"

Thinking back to the car ride...he had hoped to support All Might any way he could...what if that was by staying out of his way and instead...supporting him from the sidelines!?

Midoriya gained the biggest smile on his face since the beginning of the day.

If he couldn't become a pro hero then there was only one thing he could do.

He was going to become the number one support hero.

'Just you watch Kacchan...'

* * *

**A/N: Hello all and welcome to my first fanfic! Some things to take away, I am not great at writing children. So if you were thinking "Man, these kids sure are smart. Do they really speak like this?" well the answer is probably no. Thankfully there won't be as much to write as children haha. Second, hows the length? I'm still curious if I should make chapters longer or shorter so it'd be great to hear your opinions on that! Third, feel free to suggest anything and let me know what you didn't like and things that you did like. Any way to improve as a writer!**

**Bye now!**


	2. Daily Life

Midoriya stirred slightly, his bed creaking ever so much at the sudden shift of weight. His eyes were closed and there was an expression of utter peace on his face. The curtains were currently blocking out any morning sunlight that would have awakened him from his slumber, something the boy surely appreciated despite his ignorance.

"Psst...Midori-Kun. Are you asleep?" Came a whispered female voice breaking through the quietness of the boy's room. A few pokes from the girl indicated that yes, the young boy was indeed sound asleep.

The girl, still shrouded in shadows, giggled almost menacingly as she made her way over to the nightstand next to his bed. "Perfect."

Pushing his All Might stylized lamp out of the way, she placed an unknown rectangular object down gently on the table. Nodding to herself confidently, she quickly made her way out of the room and into the brightened hallway.

The girl stood almost perfectly at 5'2", her bubble gum pink hair oddly looked like octopus tentacles flowing from her scalp. Her unique yellow eyes shined with mischievousness as she quietly shut the door behind her. "Let's see how baby #9 works in third gear."

Mei pulled out a small metallic box with a few switches and buttons sticking out of it, along with a large retractable antenna. "Thanks for helping with this test Midori-Kun!" She shouted out gleefully as she slammed her finger down on one of the many buttons.

The sudden yell got the attention of the sleeping boy as his eyes fluttered open. His green curly hair was unbelievably messy as he sat up from his position. "What was that…?" He muttered to himself, eyes scanning the room. His eyes landed on the small box sitting at his bedside. A few seconds went by until his eyes widened and his hair stood on its end.

"O-oh no..."

This was all he managed to say before said box began beeping, not unlike a normal, everyday alarm clock. The beeping continued, however, gaining both speed and sound with each interval. Izuku's eyes clenched shut as he held his hands up to his ears. The sound just kept getting louder and louder until…

...it suddenly stopped.

Izuku sighed with relief, letting his hands fall from his ears and attempting to let the ringing fade. "F-finally."

His relief was short-lived however as the device began to smoke causing even more dread to flow through his system. Before he could utter another word an explosion rocketed from the device. Outside the door, the pink-haired girl couldn't help but cringe slightly as she slipped off her earmuffs and pulled out a notebook from her back pocket.

"Test #6 is deemed a failure. Could it have been excessive power being flowed to the speakers? Or maybe it was the power supply itself! The next test will include a larger lithium-ion battery with a better coolant implemented." She quickly wrote down with some muttering. All the while, her grin never faltered, not even when the boy walked out of his room with soot covering his face.

"H-Hatsume-Chan...how many times have I told you _not _to test your inventions on me?" He said groggily, a couple coughs surfacing from his throat as he tried to breathe through the lingering smoke.

Mei simply grinned at the boy and slipped her notebook away. "Sorry, won't happen again!"

'_It'll happen again...' _he thought to himself, wiping some of the soot off his face when another thought came to the front of his mind. "H-how did you even get inside my apartment!?" He screeched out.

"Kukuku~ Never underestimate the power of my babies!" She began to laugh before suddenly her demeanor changed and she gave him a wink. "Just kidding. Your mom let me in of course. Ah, that reminds me!" Mei began to make her way towards the living area, Izuku following in tow. "She wanted me to let you know that she's out shopping. How diligent of her early in the morning right? Right?"

The freckle-faced boy could only sigh in exasperation. How was it that this girl had so much energy? He had known her for a good chunk of his childhood and even now he wasn't sure. Looking at the clock in the kitchen, Izuku made a note of the time and watched as his friend made herself comfy on the couch, writing more notes down in her notebook.

He couldn't help but let a large blush cover his cheeks at the sudden realization that he was currently in the same room with Mei. In his house. Alone.

Mei seemed to take notice of his sudden inability to speak and looked at him from her position on the couch. "What's wrong Midori-Kun? Better hurry and get ready or else we'll be late for classes." She smirked at him. "Unless...you finally want to take me up on my offer and play hooky in favor of more research and inventing?"

"N-no! That's a-alright. We need our e-education!" He stuttered as he ran out of the room and into the bathroom to get ready, all the while trying to ignore the teasing laughter coming from the main room.

* * *

Mei was smiling to herself as she tinkered with the same device that awoke Izuku that morning. He swore that if there was anyone out there that could challenge All Might in a smiling contest, it was this girl.

Currently, the two were walking to the train station so they wouldn't be late to middle school. They both attended the same one thankfully, that being Aldera Junior High. The time was still early however and it looked like they would have a small amount of time to spare. Hence their leisurely walk with Mei spending her free time with the box in one hand and a screwdriver in the other.

"So Hatsume-Chan...what exactly is the purpose of that device?" He asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. Mei was many things, but one thing for sure was she didn't invent pointless/useless machines. Everything always has a purpose when it comes to her.

"Ah, curious about what it was made for Midori-Kun? Simple really." She said, turning a screw as she closed up the back of it. "Heroes need to be prepared for any sort of danger right? So what happens if a hero forgets to wake up and do his/her daily patrols? That's where #9 comes in! The SHAC (superhero alarm clock) ((name still pending))"

Her smile dropped as she stuffed it in her school bag. Izuku wondered what other parts or machines she had stuffed away in there briefly before she began to speak again.

"Third gear still needs some work though...you experienced that first hand hehe." She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

Izuku couldn't help but laugh along with the girl. However, his mind couldn't help but wander to the reasoning as to why third gear had failed. It amazed him how often Mei could find non-combustible items and turn them combustible. It was almost like a hidden talent with the number of explosions she set off.

"Well, it's as you always say. Failure is a key factor in getting better, yeah?"

She smiled at that and nodded, her hand instinctively reaching up to fiddle with her steampunk like goggles. "Exactly partner! We wouldn't have been able to make baby #1 without a little failure!" She shouted out, gaining the attention of some bystanders. Some whispered and giggled causing Izuku to blush in embarrassment at his friend.

Everyone's attention suddenly shifted however as an explosion rocked the streets, causing Mei to stumble slightly, grabbing onto Izuku so she wouldn't fall. "Oops, thanks for the catch Midori-Kun."

Normally the boy would have blushed beet red but he was more focused on the cause. He simply nodded, a serious look grazing his face. He helped steady the pink-haired girl before taking off down the street. "C' mon, let's go see what that was!"

Mei grinned and nodded. "Right with you partner."

When they arrived at the scene, a little way away from where they first felt the shaking, they were both stunned to see a large villain wreaking havoc on the nearby building in a rampage of sorts. His head was oddly shaped and reminded Izuku of what a human shark would look like. The villain was about the size of a small building so the damage was racking up fast.

"Oh no! Someone call a hero!" Someone shouted.

"Are there any nearby?"

"Wait, look! Kamui Woods!" Another shout had both of the student's attention.

A man who looked to be made of pure wood quickly came swinging onto the scene, while another man who was dressed up as a firefighter made a line of water that blocked citizens from getting close. The heroes had finally arrived.

"Look Midori-Kun! I bet Backdraft would benefit from a jet pack wouldn't you agree? His quirk plus our genius would surely improve his overall standing!" Mei told her friend with enthusiasm, writing down a few notes in her book.

Izuku didn't respond, instead fascinated by the way Kamui Woods moved. He couldn't believe he was seeing him in action! Kamui Woods was one of the highest-ranked heroes in Japan. He began to drown out Mei's voice in favor of thinking up anyway to improve said hero.

"While his quirk does allow him free control of wood, it's not the strongest material around. Maybe something that could block out flames? No, anything too bulky would only hinder his quirk, not improve it. Perhaps a whole new set of metallic whips for him to use against his weakness. Could there be a way to tell him this simply or should I wait? Kamui Woods seems the stubborn type that..." He continued his muttering to himself.

Mei smiled and gave her best friend a thumbs up "Perfect. I love it when you get into one of your brainstorms." She began to listen to him and write down many things that came out of his mouth. You see, Izuku himself was more of the ideas man while Mei would put those ideas into practice.

It was how the two of them had clicked so easily growing up. Izuku would spout what sounded like nonsense to most, Mei would write it down and later invent it. That's not to say the boy couldn't fix, improve, or tinker himself. It was simply a personal preference.

The two aspiring support heroes were broke out of their thoughts when a large woman dressed in tight spandex came running through the streets before delivering the final blow to the unnamed monstrous villain. One kick to the face and he was out.

"W-wow...Mt. Lady sure is _ahem_ something." He blushed, looking away from her now posing figure. The cameramen sure loved it.

Mei rolled her eyes at the obvious blush on the boys face. Her smile never faltered however as she gave Izuku a knowing look, one which he caught as soon as she gave it.

"W-what?" He stuttered

"Oh nothing~ Just figured you'd probably wish you had my quirk right about now hehehe." She raised her eyebrows up and down and gestured towards Mt. Lady.

"I- wh- you-... HATSUME-CHAN!"

* * *

Thankfully, even after all the commotion in the morning, the two had made it on time to school. Mei had quickly saluted him goodbye and made her way to her class while Izuku made his way towards his own.

While the two still went to the same school, it would have been more surprising if they had the same class. He was in class 3-B while she was in 3-A and they constantly ate lunch together so it wasn't like they were starved for each other's attention.

'_Though sometimes Hatsume-Chan gets really clingy at times... I hope she learns what personal space __is before we apply to U.A.' _He thought to himself, walking into the classroom and sitting at his desk. Taking a glance around the classroom he took notice of the many eyes on him and he had to shrink back in his seat just to feel comfortable.

It was common knowledge that he was the only quirkless boy in the entire school. '_Kacchan made sure of that' _He couldn't help but think to himself.

Ever since that day he had shown such hostility towards him, their friendship sort of...crumbled. They barely spoke, only when Bakugou decided he was worth a damn to bully. Fortunately for Izuku, Mei had been around for much of the earlier times and helped defend him.

The sliding door shot open and in walked a spiky blonde-haired kid. A sour expression was shown on his face as he made his way towards his seat, taking but a second to give Izuku a terrifying glare before sitting behind him. The green-haired boy hid behind his notebook in an attempt to negate any hostility towards him.

It wasn't that he didn't _like _Bakugou per se. It was more along the lines that he didn't allow anyone to like him. Even his two lackeys that were constantly at his side sometimes felt uncomfortable around him. Mei, however, really didn't like him.

Izuku chuckled silently to himself, fondly remembering the time Bakugou had messed up some of Mei's blueprints (childish drawings) which had set her off.

'_Even Kacchan seemed afraid at that moment. I was too and she wasn't even angry at me!' _he thought.

"Alright everyone, take your seats. Class is starting." The teacher spoke with an uncaring attitude as he walked in, taking a seat behind his desk. "Remember, times a ticking so make sure to turn in your school applications so you can get into a school of your choice. If you need recommendations, check with the guidance counselors office after school." He spoke in a lazy drawl, flipping a page in his textbook.

Class was normal for the most part. Izuku was thankful for that, though there was a moment of Bakugou glaring straight at him after he announced that he wanted to go to U.A. The boy quickly cleared up that misunderstanding when he announced his desire to go into the support course instead of the hero course.

It was currently lunchtime so while most people decided to go to the cafeteria or leave the classroom, Izuku stuck behind his desk and pulled out a bag labeled with his name. He sighed happily.

"I really can't ask for a better mother..." He muttered.

"Better than mine!" A voice to his right made the boy jump.

"H-H-Hatsume-Chan!" He placed a hand over his beating heartbeat. "P-please don't do that. I could have choked." He pointed at his sandwich which he had already taken a bite of.

"Pfft, and I would have saved you. Now enough of that noise, take a look at this!" She pulled one of the nearby chairs and scooted it unbelievably close to the poor boy and shoved both her notebook and her face into his personal space.

"These are some very rough designs I got from your muttering this morning! Pretty cool right? See this part here..."

Izuku was trying to focus on what the girl was saying but she was just too close! Despite growing up with her, it still hadn't changed his nervousness when around other people. Bakugou had already shattered that when they were younger but now with...teenage tendencies...it was even harder.

"...and see, it matches up really well here. Get what I'm throwing down partner? Hey, Midori-Kun?" She received no response which caused her to huff. Placing her notebook down, she crossed her arms.

Before long, the boy finally snapped out of his thoughts and looked to his right where the girl was sitting with a sour expression on her face. Almost like someone had taken her tools and thrown them in the lake. Izuku scratched his cheek nervously. "Uh yeah s-seems interesting!"

Mei pulled down her goggles to cover her eyes before looking at Izuku with an unwavering stare. "Mmm yes... I do believe I see someone who doesn't want to capitalize on my newest baby. Is that really what ism seeing _partner_?" She questioned with a slight tone of annoyance.

"N-no! Of course not...sorry Hatsume-Chan. In fact, t-to show my support why don't I be the first to test it out when you make it!"

"When _we _make it Midori-Kun." She pulled her goggles off and placed them on her forehead like usual before tapping the side of Izuku's head. "This is where the idea came from after all." He flinched slightly but understood the meaning.

"Of course. You're right. Let me take a look again."

Their entire lunch spent snacking and reading over some of the ideas that were mashed from both Mei's and Izuku's brains (a dangerous combination). It seemed almost like grappling hook technology combined with the whip-like look of Kamui Woods, only pure metal. With this even a quirkless like him could get around the city in a flash, taking to the rooftops instead of the streets. It was an amazing idea though he wasn't sure how it could be used in combat effectively. The metal would surely weigh down the speed making it useless against speedy villains.

"Hehehe leave that part to me Midori-Kun. I've got an idea..." was the only response he received from his friend.

Soon school had ended and therefore he met up with Mei one last time for the day as they walked to the train station together.

"Hey partner, would you mind doing me a favor? Really? Great, thanks!"

'_You didn't even let me respond' _He deadpanned but resigned himself to his fate.

"Could you take SHAC here and start gutting it? I've got to get on making baby #13 and I won't have time to do both alone. Speaking of which, I'll be stopping by your house tomorrow so let Mrs. M know okay? Cool, catch you later!"

After shoving the box into his hands she took off running towards her train, waving goodbye without looking at him. Izuku smiled himself. She was a handful, sure, but he couldn't imagine himself without her. She was a blessing in disguise.

Realizing he was standing in the middle of the walkway, he made to start towards his own train. He fiddled with the box slightly but decided against opening it up until he got home. Wouldn't want parts falling out that he couldn't replace.

After his uneventful train ride home, he was somewhat lost in thought once again as he made his walk home.

Many things had changed for the boy the minute he had met Mei. One of the biggest being his realization into what he wanted to be. Someone that didn't need to be a liability to heroes while also providing the support that they surely needed. He imagined people like All Might wouldn't need much help but people like Midnight and Cementoss were sorely in need of an upgrade to their suits.

While in the middle of thinking, he didn't notice as a small sewer drain cover moved as he walked by. He pulled his notebook out, writing a few things down regarding Midnight's use of her quirk. Surely there was some way to project her sleep fumes, Aim it as a certain person so no hero gets in the crossfire…

He was unaware of the slime beast behind him until it was too late.

* * *

**Hello! Glad so many people seemed to like my first chapter! I was expecting maybe a small amount but the number of people who favorited and followed far surpassed what I had in mind! I see that some of you like the length to be around 3 to 4k words which works perfectly because that's what I'm comfortable with! Starting next chapter I will give little bios of the characters at the end, not unlike the Anime adaption does during the halfway points. Until next time!**


End file.
